The Green Party have sparked a huge media debate as to whether they are anti semitic (a form of racism), by passing a motion attacking the ideology of Zionism. As with all such things, it is important to understand exactly what was said, rather than just to cut and paste a few statements made by people you agree or disagree with. So here is the motion in full
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The Motion Declares:
1. The Green Party declares itself to be an anti-Zionist party.
2. The Green Party rejects attempts to normalise the racist subjugation and oppression of Palestinians; to equate anti-Zionism with antisemitism; to deny or minimise Palestinian human rights; to create hierarchies of racism; and to normalise or attempt to justify apartheid, ethnic cleansing or genocide. We affirm that definitions of anti-Jewish discrimination should not equate Jewish identity with Zionist ideology or political practice. As with any ethnicity or faith group, no single political ideology should be ascribed to an entire people.
3. Following from Motion E05, which affirmed that Israel is an apartheid State committing genocide, and Motion E07 supporting reparations and accountability, the Green Party supports the establishment of a single democratic Palestinian State in all of historic Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital, equal rights for all, and the right of return for Palestinians and their descendants.
4. The Green Party affirms the Palestinian people's inalienable right to self- determination, including the right of the Palestinian people to resistance and liberation from Israeli occupation, domination and subjugation, and acknowledges that the struggle to achieve that liberation by all available means under international law is legitimate.
5. The Green Party heeds the call from Palestinian civil society to impose broad boycotts and implement divestment initiatives against Israel similar to those applied to South Africa in the apartheid era, and calls upon the United Kingdom Government to impose full embargoes and sanctions against Israel.
6. The Green Party calls for the release of all Palestinian prisoners of conscience (including Marwan Barghouti), the end of the use of administrative detention of Palestinians by Israel, and the treatment of Palestinian combatants in accordance with international humanitarian law, including in particular those provisions dealing with prisoners of war in the First Additional Protocol of the 1977 amendments to the Four Genevan Conventions of 1949 relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts.
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I must state that the motion does not say what I thought it would say, having listened to the media coverage. What surprised me is that I think the most incendiary of all of the statements, and the one which I am, quite frankly amazed no one has said anything about is "4. The Green Party affirms the Palestinian people's inalienable right to self- determination, including the right of the Palestinian people to resistance and liberation from Israeli occupation, domination and subjugation, and acknowledges that the struggle to achieve that liberation by all available means under international law is legitimate."
Now, maybe I misread that statement, but if I was Jewish, in light of the October 7th attack, which resulted in the kindapping and murder of large numbers of civilians, including children and elderly people, I think I would be very upset and worried indeed. As somone who abhors violence, I have noted that seemingly intratcable disputes such as Northern Ireland and Apartheid South Africa have been resolved without mass bloodshed, by getting the parties to negotiate in good faith and I believe this should be how UK political parties should approach the middle east. My view is that the Green Party has taken a position that is will alienate many people who may sympathise with many issues raised in the text. What concerns me is that section 4 of this motion seemingly gives carte blanche to any attack on Jewish people, if it is deemed that this may support the wider goal of Palestinian liberation, in any context at all.
Motions such as this are largely symbolic. I doubt the Green Party will ever form a government or set UK foreign policy. This statement was aimed specifically at a UK audience of activists who support Palestine and want to see a UK political party speak strongly on the subject. I cannot believe that any consideration in drafting this text was given to ordinary Jewish people living in the UK. In the grander scheme of things, I don't think this motion will make an iota of difference to anything in the real world, except for perhaps convincing a few people that the Green Party are a bit too extreme to vote for.
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